When it comes to solving social problems, can business fill the gap left by government?

Vox reports that on issues like guns, immigration, health care, and climate change, Americans are increasingly putting pressure on businesses to act when they believe government will not. Commenting on this phenomenon, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker told reporter Emily Stewart he recognizes that “when presented with government that is not responding to the desires of the citizenry, citizens are looking for other ways to change public policy.” But when it comes to real solutions, he said, it’s complicated: “It’s problematic to believe that the private sector can be a proxy for government, and so we need our government to be responsive to the citizenry.”

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The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.